But I Die (Without You)
by cherrygurl1225
Summary: There is a third way. But she doesn't have to like it either. Post finale fic. Written for my hc bingo prompt "isolation" on LiveJournal.
1. Chapter One: The Third Way

**Haven: But I Die (Without You)**

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**Author's Note: **I've had this story in my head for awhile. I've been contemplating it since before the finale, but I wanted to use the finale as a guide to help me write this story. This is a very personal fic and something I've always wanted to share with other fans, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy trying to figure out my very own crazy world of Haven. I have a physical disability and use a wheelchair and, as such, I feel my disability has informed the way I seek to tell stories. Therefore, I feel it is important to explore the meaning of disability and what it means to me in fandom in hopes of helping fans understand my perception of the world around me. This story seeks to explore a part of that.

Dedicated to **scarlotti** for her beautifully written Naudrey stories, which have inspired me to become a better Naudrey writer because it's still hard for me to grasp at times. Thank you!

This is a post finale story; however, while it uses dialogue and scenes from both "Reunion" and "Thanks for the Memories," it is meant to be an AU fic. Written for my **hc_bingo prompt** _"isolation"_ on LJ.

* * *

**Chapter One: The Third Way**

_Without you, the ground thaws, the rain falls, the grass grows.  
Without you, the seeds root, the flowers bloom, the children play.  
The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly, without you.  
The earth turns, the sun burns, but I die, without you._

"Without You" – _Rent_ lyrics

"Am I even human? Audrey Parker asks as she stands inside the Barn, stark white walls plastered around every miniscule inch of space around her.

"Audrey," Agent Howard says, voice serious and unwavering as he steps forward and places his hands on her shoulders. "That's your problem. You are very, very human."

"So I'm… I'm Troubled then," she replies, eyes wide and scared as she tries to process this information.

"No," he responds, shaking his head.

"Then why do I need to kill the man I love to end all this?" She steps back now, anger coloring her tone. "Am I being punished?"

"It does seem that way, yes."

She almost hates Agent Howard in this moment for being so stoic, calm. She fights back tears that form along the rims of her eyes, meeting his steady gaze once more.

"There's gotta be another way."

Agent Howard draws a breath. "There is a third way. But it only works once. Lucy and Sarah chose not to use that. But your situation is… different now. Therefore, that third choice is yours if you choose to use it."

"_Tell me_," her voice implores, her tone threatening even as a tear falls down her cheek.

"One way stops the Troubles for twenty-seven years. The other way stops them forever. And the other…"

"What?" she nearly shouts and the word echoes in reverberation around them.

"It's only temporary," he begins. "Just until the time is right. But someone else must take your place until you are able to. The Troubles will remain in Haven until you are ready to return to the Barn."

"I… I don't understand," Audrey's breath hitches in her throat as she stares at Agent Howard's stoic expression.

"I'm sure you remember last night, don't you? The night you thought to be your last night in Haven as Audrey Parker?"

He steps back, studies her face as her brow furrows and suddenly…

_A flash of white light_

Now she's standing inside the Grey Gull, watching a scene from the night before unfold.

Audrey and Nathan are sitting at a table in front of her talking in hushed tones.

"I'm going to go up," Audrey tells Nathan and she turns in her chair, getting ready to stand, before glancing back at him.

_Nathan._

"_I have always loved you. I always will love you."_

She remembers saying those words to him before he'd been brought back to life a few weeks ago. Her eyes trace the contours of his face, of his deep concentration and careful vulnerability.

"What are you doing?" she finally says.

"What I want to do is stay here with you," he replies, his eyes melting into hers.

A small smile forms on the creases of her lips when suddenly…

_A flash of white light_

Audrey now stands and watches an entirely different scene unfold. She's now upstairs in her bedroom above the Gull watching herself and Nathan as they hesitate around each other, stumbling over words they always knew how to say.

He pulls her closer to him and Audrey lets out a small gasp of surprise at Nathan's forwardness in his actions.

"Nathan," she breathes out in surprise and the intimate moment between them pulsates with steady vigor.

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life not knowing how it felt to hold you like this. To be with you."

His voice is honest, open and Audrey finds herself searching his face for more answers (but his stoic expression constantly leaves more to be desired) and, as her eyes flicker to his, he leans in and captures her lips in a passionate kiss.

Everything around them seems to standstill, to stop, and even as Audrey watches the scene continue to unfold, she thinks she feels it too.

It's just _them._

Locked in a passionate embrace, his lips move away from hers to tease a trail of soft kisses down the side of her neck and her arms tighten around his shoulders as her fingers weave through his hair.

Carefully, he lowers her to the bed behind them and his hands travel to the hem of her shirt, slipping underneath against her soft skin. The pleasurable moan that comes from her mouth becomes muffled into the crease of his neck as he continues to plant soft kisses along her collarbone.

Her fingers are the first to find the buttons of his shirt and she undoes them quickly and the unseen Audrey in the room almost has to look away, instantly reminded of Nathan's brief time with Sarah.

Almost.

But she doesn't.

Her eyes remain riveted on the two bodies lying on the bed in front of her, experiencing a heightened moment of pleasure she wishes she could never forget.

As Audrey watches herself with Nathan from the night before, clothing slowly starting to be strewn about in a haphazard pile on the floor beside the bed, she feels a vibrating pulse in her temples. Reaching up to touch her forehead as her head starts to pound incessantly, the intensity of the moment she's witnessing becomes too much to bear.

She cringes, nausea creeping up on her and the edges of her vision fading to black until…

_A flash of white light_

When Audrey opens her eyes, the pounding in her head instantly subsides and she looks around, taking in the sterile perfection of the mysterious Barn.

She feels Agent Howard's gaze upon her seconds before she finds herself staring into his eyes again.

"What the hell was that?" she demands.

"Devotion. Caring. Passion."

Agent Howard speaks the last word with a careful delicacy.

"Love."

"I know that, but-…"

"You're pregnant, Audrey," he interrupts calmly. "You're going to have another child. A daughter."

**To be continued…**

**Author's Note: **I have to admit that I don't know exactly where this is going, but you're welcome to follow along for the ride! Reviews are like delicious bowls of cherries, so please leave me some! :)


	2. Chapter Two: Departure

**Chapter Two: Departure**

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**Author's Note: **WOW! Thank you ALL for the awesome reviews and incredible follows! I'm SO happy this fic is gaining some traction already because a part of me has been wanting to tell this story for at least a few months (in some way) and now I'm glad I'm finally able to! I will try to respond to reviewers who've signed in via PMs, but I just want you ALL to know that I thank you so much for reading and following. I hope you enjoy this second chapter. On with the story!

"Isn't everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?" Celine, _Before Sunrise_

* * *

Audrey's mouth opens as if she's about to speak, but instead she just stares at the man opposite her incredulously, wishing more than anything that she could wipe the eerily unperturbed expression off his face.

"How… I'm… What?" she stutters, each word coming out more surprised than the last.

"You're pregnant," he repeats. "You cannot return to the Barn until after you have given birth to your daughter. Until then, someone must temporarily take your place."

Her hand reflexively covers her still taut stomach. She can barely process his words.

_A daughter._

A daughter she will never see grow up into a beautiful young woman. A daughter she will never see again for twenty-seven years and, even then, will some part of her remember her own flesh and blood?

"Who?" she finally says, voice barely rising above a cautious whisper. "Who has to take my place until then?"

"Someone you love," Agent Howard replies. "Someone who loves you."

She finds herself briefly wondering if Howard's cryptic responses are mutually exclusive, but quickly pushes the thought from her mind.

Turning away from him, she walks slowly to the door of the Barn, the sound of her shoes creaking against the perfect sterile floors, which becomes a welcome distraction from the incessant throbbing in her head.

In her heart, she knows who it has to be. But is she ready to face that? To face his departure?

* * *

If there's one thing she swears she never wants to forget in this lifetime, it's the expression on Nathan's face when she exits the Barn.

He's the first to approach her, eyes warm, curious and searching as his hands come to rest on her shoulders.

"What happened?" he asks quietly, his voice only audible between the two of them.

"I… I can't go into the Barn. Not yet. Not until-…"

"What? What do you mean you can't go into the Barn? I thought-…"

Audrey interrupts him, but now her voice is heavy and impending tears collect along the rims of her bright blue eyes nearly ready to fall. "I'm pregnant."

"You're…" he stutters uneasily, taking a step back. "But that doesn't… how?"

Audrey stares at him evenly and she studies him for a beat, the unspoken words at the tip of her tongue. It takes Nathan a moment until realization strikes him, thoughts of the night before – _their last night together –_ suddenly flooding through the crevices of his mind.

"How do you know?"

"Agent Howard," she replies and her breath catches in her throat before she's able to say, "We're having a daughter, Nathan."

"…A daughter?" His voice chokes with palpable emotion.

Audrey nods slowly as the tears start to fall down her cheeks. Nathan steps forward and instantly cups her face in his hands, his thumbs wiping the moisture away.

"You can stay."

The soft whisper of his voice makes Audrey lean forward, wet cheek pressing against the palm of his hand as she nuzzles it gently.

"Only until the baby is born. And then I have to go."

_But what if I still don't want to?_

She dare not vocalize her innermost thoughts, even though the question lingers precariously in the forefront of her mind.

Nathan meets her teary gaze. "There's a catch, isn't there?"

Her eyes flicker from Nathan's inquisitive expression to the spot where Duke is standing several feet behind them. She catches Duke's dark eyes and moves her head slightly as if to say "come here," beckoning him forward.

He looks inquiringly, eyes flickering back and forth between the two. He knows this moment of soft spoken intimacy between them is not yet over.

"What's going on?"

Duke's question hangs in the air for what seems like a vast stretch of eternity before Nathan's eyes meet his and he responds. "Audrey's pregnant."

The other man's eyes widen before he fully comprehends the enormity of Nathan's words. He glances between them wordlessly, his dark eyes searching silently for answers.

For _something._

Audrey breaks the quietude that falls upon them. "Someone has to take my place until after the baby is born. Someone I…"

_Love,_ she wants to say.

"Someone I care about. Someone who cares about me."

"I'll go," Duke murmurs almost immediately.

"_No_," Nathan intones. "You can't."

"Why not?"

"Because someone I trust needs to stay here and take care of Audrey."

Nathan's response surprises both of them. It's so rare for Nathan to acknowledge that he trusts Duke (even when Duke knows he does) that Nathan's forthright declaration makes both Audrey and Duke exchange curious glances.

"You… you trust me to-…" Duke stumbles over his words.

"Don't make me regret my decision," Nathan replies evenly before his eyes revert back to Audrey's tear-stained face.

As Nathan moves even closer to Audrey, cupping her cheeks in his hands once more, Duke steps away respectfully and moves off to inform Dwight, Vince and Dave of the latest turn of events.

"No, you can't-…"

"Audrey, listen to me. You have the strongest intuition of anyone I've ever met. Deep down, you know I have to go into that damn Barn. It's an unfair predicament for both of us, but you know it has to be me."

Tears glisten on her skin and start to blur her vision, but the feeling of his warm, comforting hands resting against her cheeks is what grounds her and forces her to focus on him.

"Nathan…"

"You still belong in Haven," he cuts in before she has a chance to finish. "I know you'll be well cared for and I need you to promise me you'll stay healthy and strong for our daughter, okay?"

"But…"

"Promise me, Audrey."

It's an ultimatum. She knows he's not backing down, knows there's no way out. Nathan might be a stoic man of few words, but in the short time she's known him, he always looks out for her, protects her. Even when she doesn't want him to. In his own way, he still does. He still seeks out the answers to her past as Lucy and Sarah and becomes a steady, faithful constant in her ever-changing present.

"Promise me," he repeats as her tear-filled eyes meet his again.

"I promise." Her whisper is soft, almost feather-light, as it seems to linger in the chilled air around them.

Suddenly, his lips are on hers and he's kissing her with undeniable passion and tenderness as his fingers move down to graze the crease of her neck and rest there. Audrey instantly responds as she fights through her tears and wraps her arms around him, hands splayed out against the back of his neck.

She never wants this moment to end. But it ends abruptly when Nathan decides to pull away, hands back on her shoulders.

"No," she mumbles, leaning forward as her forehead rests against his chest.

"Audrey. Audrey, look at me."

She obliges reluctantly.

"Everything's gonna be alright. You'll be with our daughter. I'll… I'll be with our son."

Her bottom lip quivers, body visibly shaking, as her tears fall faster and faster. In a quick movement, he propels her towards Duke who steps forward again and swiftly closes the gap between them.

"Make sure she doesn't follow me in," Nathan instructs and Duke nods as he pulls a sobbing Audrey to him. She looks back when Nathan starts moving away from them and in the direction of the enormous Barn, still cloaked in evolving mystery and conspicuous intrigue.

The Barn that holds his son. _Their son._

"Goodbye, Audrey," he tells her. Without looking back, he pulls open the heavy door and steps inside, slamming it behind him. His departure is final.

_I love you_.

It's his last thought before his world becomes shrouded in abysmal darkness.

Outside the Barn, as the last of the meteors make their final descent on Haven, Duke holds onto a trembling Audrey who falls to the ground in austere despondency.

He doesn't let her go, continuing to hold her as her tears stain his shirt and he purposely averts his eyes as the Barn disappears behind a wall of scorching orange flames.

* * *

_Her eyes quickly scan the buildings – the coffee shop, Rosemary's Bakery, the Haven police station – and she quietly muses how little has changed since she's been gone. Then again, it's only been about five months, but still._

_She lets out an audible sigh when she passes the now vacant building that used to be the Haven Herald. She remembers the rumors that spread around her like wildfire before she'd gone to college at Haven University._

_Some townspeople wanted to replace the Herald office with a comic book shop. She had been vehemently against the idea and attended every city council meeting she could, making sure her voice was heard. Eventually, the idea was dismissed and the building remained empty. _

_She thinks back to her childhood growing up in a raucous, dimly lit bar, a bustling police station, a sun and water drenched boat and a cozy newspaper office. She thinks about the people in her life and how much they've sacrificed for her, how much they've given her and a smile tugs at her lips. _

"_We're here," a voice cuts through her reverie as the passenger side door opens._

_The young woman swings her legs around, her feet meeting the rocky ground beneath as the burly man standing in front of her gives her a pair of bright pink forearm crutches. She slides her arms into them and slowly gets up, trying to find her sense of balance._

"_You good?" the man asks._

"_Great," the young woman says, smiling._

"_Do you want me to put your suitcase upstairs or take it into the Grey Gull?"_

"_Upstairs is fine," she replies. "Thanks, Uncle Dwight."_

"_No problem."_

_As Dwight walks off, she heads toward the Grey Gull._

_The monotonous rhythm of "step, crutch, step, crutch" illuminates in the forefront of her memory as she recalls how Dwight and Duke used to drive her to a facility one hour outside of Haven for her physical therapy sessions. Duke insisted that the physical therapy facility a few towns away was far superior compared to the paltry offerings that Haven supplied._

_The door to the Gull is open and she makes out the thin silhouette of an aging Duke as she approaches. She moves to the bar and sits herself down on a bar stool before Duke looks up to greet his newest arrival._

_His eyes go wide in shock when he sees her, the warm, inviting brown eyes and the long blonde hair cascading down to her waist all too familiar. _

"_I leave to go to graduate school in California for five months and you completely redecorate the Gull? Typical," she laughs, not missing Duke's stunned expression._

"_Cady?!"_

"_Hi, Uncle Duke. Surprise."_

"_What are you doing back? Shouldn't you be out basking in the California sunshine?"_

"_I was. I mean, California is great. Berkeley's journalism school is amazing. It's just…"_

_Cady takes a moment to fuss with her crutches, finally deciding to lean them against the empty bar stool beside her. Her eyes then refocus on Duke as her hands clasp together and rest against the bar's clean tabletop. _

"_I… I've been having this feeling and it's getting stronger. And then I've… I've had these dreams..."_

_She pauses, noticing Duke's confused yet attentive gaze and takes a deep breath. _

"_Mom's coming back soon, isn't she?"_

**To be continued…**

**Author's Note: **Thanks SO much for reading! Updates might be a little more infrequent now since I just started my second (and probably busiest) semester of graduate school, but keep on a lookout for more! Nathan/Audrey sweet romantic angst and Duke/Audrey friendship moments coming! Reviews are still like delectable bowls of cherries! For me anyway. So please review! ;)


	3. Chapter Three: Fissure

**Chapter Three: Fissure**

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**Author's Note: **YAY! Thanks SO much to those who've taken the time to leave reviews for this story, put it on author alerts and add it to their favorites list. Getting those notifications in my e-mail inbox always brightens my day, so keep 'em coming! As a brief side-note, the name Cady comes from the character Cady Longmire on the awesome TV series _Longmire_ in case anyone is wondering!

By the way, **SandraDee, **you are definitely on the right track in picking up on Cady's intuition! YAY! I'm glad someone mentioned it. That will definitely be addressed in some way in the coming chapters.

I'd also like to give a HUGE SHOUT OUT to **Ceci,** one of my best friends and current scriptwriting partner in crime! Thank you SO much for your help with a good portion of the Cady story arc. I got really stuck and this chapter as well as upcoming chapters would not have been possible without the epic list of ideas you sent me. Love you, miss you and THANK YOU! *hugs*

Review replies from the previous chapter will be answered when I can. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

* * *

The Grey Gull is bustling with people occupying every chair and barstool. Most of them, Duke notices, are chatting amicably and he finds himself silently thanking Buddha (or some mysterious higher power) that he doesn't have to break up any bar fights today.

"I'll have a beer. Whatever you have on tap is fine," a familiar voice cuts through the rambling chatter around him as Dwight takes a seat at the bar while Duke cleans a glass.

Duke flips the glass in his hand and catches it with ease. "Coming right up."

He fills the freshly washed glass with a generous amount of amber liquid before sliding it towards the burly man opposite him.

"It's on the house, Sasquatch," he says.

"Thanks," Dwight replies as he takes a sip.

"But somehow I get the feeling you didn't come here just for a drink," Duke adds, eying the other man suspiciously. "What's going on?"

"Just came by to see how Audrey's doing," Dwight replies, but his voice hints at some ulterior motive. He takes another sip of his beer.

"She's sleeping. Or at least she was when I checked on her an hour ago," Duke pauses briefly, then continues. "But I know that's not why you're here."

"We need to talk."

"So talk," Duke tells him. "I'm listening."

"You've been tense and edgy these past two months," Dwight observes.

"Yeah, that might have something to do with the fact that my friend is pregnant and it's up to me to protect her _and_ her baby no matter what. Nathan trusts me to do this. Even if I never see him again, I'm not letting him down."

"What makes you think you won't see Nathan again?"

Duke licks his parched lips, studying the man across from him with unwavering intensity. "Let's just say I've considered the possibilities."

"Look, I'm not here to be your enemy, Duke," Dwight says with as much honesty as he can muster. "But we do need to talk. Somewhere a little more private is preferred."

"Why didn't you just say that to begin with?"

Dwight grins. "Because I wanted to enjoy my beer first."

* * *

After Duke leaves his bartender, Nora, with some additional instructions in case his early evening crowd becomes too rowdy, he heads out to a more secluded area of the Gull with Dwight following behind him.

"People in The Guard have been talking," Dwight begins. "Audrey has been a popular topic recently."

"Can't say I'm surprised. They just want Audrey to go into that damn Barn."

"It's deeper than that. Audrey's pregnancy… well, it… it complicates things," Dwight hesitates, choosing his words carefully.

"No shit."

"For starters, I don't want Audrey to go into the Barn either. She's my friend too, but…"

"But if you're her friend," Duke cuts in. "Wouldn't you be looking for another way to make her stay?"

"I would. I'm just not sure that's how it's supposed to be. What I am sure of is that The Guard is a threat to Audrey's daughter."

"What?" Duke asks incredulously. "What the hell does The Guard want with Audrey's daughter?"

"Not now," Dwight tells him. "But twenty-seven years from now when Audrey returns, her youngest offspring will be seen as a threat to Haven in the eyes of The Guard. They believe Audrey's youngest child will create a fissure in the grand design."

Duke folds his arms across his chest. "What does Vince say about all of this?"

"Vince and I are the ones trying to placate the rest of The Guard. We don't see Audrey's youngest as a threat. Far from it actually."

Duke takes in a sharp breath and thinks for a moment. "But The Guard won't go after Audrey or her baby right now. Not unless Vince tells them to."

Dwight nods affirmatively.

"Okay, so let's just say for kicks that it's twenty-seven years from now, what does Audrey's daughter ever do to this town except be born and grow up in it?"

"Her commitment to this town becomes rooted in intransience. A lot like her mother actually, but bigger in some ways. The Guard fears she will do more than just reunite with her parents and ensure that they remember her. They fear she will uncover a bigger mystery, something hidden. Something much more than she would be able to handle on her own. Something involving and changing Haven as we know it."

He pauses before he adds, "Permanently."

* * *

A few hours after his conversation with Dwight, Duke closes down the Gull for the night. It's a few hours earlier than usual, but as the hours pass the number of people dining at his fine establishment start to decrease. Finally, the last person leaves and he calls it a night.

He packs up some food for Audrey and shuts off all the lights, trudging up the stairs to her apartment.

"Audrey?" he calls out. "Audrey, open up. It's Duke."

He knocks on the door with his free hand. Once. Twice. No answer.

"Audrey?" His voice rises, panic bubbling inside of him suddenly.

He fuses for the extra set of keys he has for her apartment and lets himself in, closing the door behind him. He sets down the paper bag full of food on her dining room table.

"Audrey?" He tries again. But he's only answered by a long stretch of silence.

Carefully, he makes his way to her bedroom, noticing that the door is slightly ajar. It's in the same position he'd left it in hours earlier.

_She hasn't gotten out of bed?_

As Duke enters, he sees the blonde woman curled up on her bed asleep and a smile forms on his lips. She's been sleeping an excessive amount lately and hardly leaving her apartment since Nathan disappeared into the Barn nearly two months before.

But it is rare for her to sleep peacefully as nightmares plague her seemingly endless hours of slumber. Duke has been there through it all. He's been there to comfort her when the nightmares rouse her from an uneasy sleep. He's seen a significant change in her spirit, her fiery persona.

He'll never admit to her how much that scares him.

So whenever he sees her sleeping peacefully, it puts him at ease. There's a glimmer of hope, of burgeoning reassurance that rises to the surface.

_She's gonna get through this. She has to. _

"Audrey. Audrey, wake up."

He gently shakes her awake and her eyes flutter open after a few moments.

"Hey," she murmurs, eyes still heavy with sleep. "What time is it?"

"It's past 8 PM. I closed the Gull down a bit early tonight."

"How long have I been asleep?" Audrey asks, glancing at the clock beside her bed.

"Quite awhile," Duke tells her. "I didn't want to wake you because you were out like a light, too. Didn't even hear me knock or come in."

"Sorry," she apologizes softly, casting her eyes downward as her left hand clenches the thick blanket covering her.

"It's okay," Duke replies. "I can take a hint."

He shoots her a charming, roguish grin and Audrey smiles slightly, pulling herself up and leaning against the headboard of her bed.

"You want to try and eat something? I brought dinner."

"The nausea…" Audrey shakes her head. "I can't. You know how bad it's been these last few days. I'd just be wasting your delicious food if my stomach decided it didn't want to cooperate."

"Need I remind you that you need to eat for two now?" Duke prods gently. "Come on. I made my specialty. I call it 'Chef Salad a la Duke' and the Soup of the Day was chili, so I have some of that and a few slices of cornbread."

Audrey wrinkles her nose. "There aren't any eggs in that chef's salad, are there?"

"Lesson learned last time," Duke notes. "No eggs. One eggless chef's salad waiting for one very special mother-to-be Audrey Parker."

"You won't give up, will you?"

"I wasn't planning on it," Duke chuckles. "So I guess that means you better at least _try_ my cooking. Buddha knows I spent most of the day in the kitchen just making sure-…"

"Okay, okay!" Audrey exclaims. "I get it. Let's eat."

Duke grins triumphantly, satisfied that he's won this round, but somehow in the back of his mind, he knows it won't be his last. He helps Audrey out of bed and leads her to the dining room table where a delicious meal awaits her.

He pushes Dwight's words out of his head. There is no time for those thoughts despite his words leaving an indelible mark in the deep crevices of his mind. There is no time to think about such things.

For now, his focus is solely on taking care of Audrey. For now, he hopes that it's enough.

* * *

_She's running. Running from what she doesn't know. But she keeps running._

_Everything around her is white as if she's trapped in a never-ending immaculate white space. There are no windows or doors that she can see. Only endless floors and walls of stark white._

_Finally starting to run out of breath, she slows down. She waits a few moments, breathing slowing to a more steady rhythm. The sound of her breathing pulsates and a reverberating echo strikes her eardrums, even when her body comes to a screeching halt. _

"_Audrey," a voice whispers softly from behind her._

_Her body stills, frozen for a moment in time in this seemingly immaculate space. The voice she aches to hear again. The monosyllabic timbre of a voice that sends shivers spilling from inside her. The voice of the man she loves._

_No. No. He can't… Her mind tries to grapple with thoughts of denial. Her mind tries to make sense of the word that was spoken from behind her._

"_Audrey…" the voice calls, closer now._

_She turns around and he's there. The denial of his presence starts to slip away as disbelief clouds her tone of voice. The scent of his peppermint aftershave and the powerful aroma of his musky cologne fill her senses. _

"…_Nathan?"_

* * *

_Duke holds Cady's gaze for a moment, eager curiosity gleaming in her warm brown eyes. _

"_Yeah," he finally replies. "Yeah, your Mom's coming back soon."_

"_But she won't remember us, right? Any of us?"_

"_Probably not."_

_Cady believes the blatant honesty in her uncle's simple words._

"_What about Dad? Will he come back, too? With her?"_

_Duke sighs, running his hand over his face as he admires the steadfast curiosity of his niece's questions._

"_I don't know, Cady."_

_He is thankful there aren't any more people coming in. At least not right now. While he's in no hurry to shut down the Gull for the night, the lull in traffic is a welcome break from the usual hectic influx of Haven residents. _

_Right now, he just wants to spend time with his niece. Though he keeps up with running the Gull on a day-to-day basis and partakes in the occasional poker game or takes adventures into the sparkling blue Maine waters while aboard the Cape Rouge, a part of him isn't the same when she's not around. A part of him isn't the same without Cady's infectious presence and beautiful smile._

_He finds himself thinking of her often and missing her._

_She's become such an integral part of his life and so inextricably connected to the town of Haven. _

_He's happy she's finally returned home, though a part of him can't help but wonder: Will she stay for good?_

_He moves a cloth across the bar's tabletop, wiping the surface clean. Or at least cleaner than it had been five minutes before. _

"_Hey," he says, startling Cady out of whatever reverie she'd suddenly sunk into. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? I'll make you something."_

"_That'd be great. I haven't eaten anything since before I left Berkeley this morning."_

_Her stomach rumbles in response. "Can you make some chicken and waffles?"_

"_One order of chicken and waffles for my favorite niece who-…"_

_Cady rolls her eyes. "Very funny, Uncle Duke. Especially because I'm your only niece."_

"_Which automatically qualifies you as my favorite," Duke counters playfully. _

_She shakes her head and laughs it off. _

_Duke busies himself preparing Cady's meal as she watches carefully. Always the observer. The curious observer, but observer nonetheless. _

"_Are you upset that I left Haven?" she asks suddenly, her expression suddenly turning serious._

"_Cady…"_

"_Come on, I know it was hard for you. And Dwight. Were you… Are you mad?"_

"_I might've gotten a bit lonely," he admits. "But I was never mad. Neither is Dwight. Why do you think we'd be mad?"_

"_Just a feeling I have. Maybe it isn't anger, though. Maybe it's just… confusion. Uncertainty."_

"_I can't stop you from following your dreams, Cady. Dreams often dictate our life path. Who am I to tell you not to follow it? Besides, eventually you would've found a way to get to California anyway. Berkeley seems like a great fit for you. And you're tenacious. Once you put your mind on something, you make sure to see it through. Stubborn as hell."_

_Cady beams at her uncle, turning his words over in her mind as she embraces his compliments and words of wisdom._

_Then quietly, "Your Mom was a lot like that, too. She was always searching for answers. Never liked to be told 'no.' I… well, I admired that about her. She helped me see who I…"_

_His voice drifts off just then as he finishes preparing Cady's meal and sets it in front of her._

"_You know what? Nevermind. Just enjoy your meal, okay?"_

_Cady studies him again, noticing how age creases the skin of his work-worn features._

"_You were in love with her, weren't you?" she observes quietly and eats a forkful of chicken and waffle._

"_Cady, we've talked about this."_

"_So let's talk about it again," she says between mouthfuls._

"_There's nothing too talk about. It's pretty clear that she only had eyes for your father."_

"_Did she know?" Cady asks._

"_I think…" Duke draws a breath before continuing. "I think she sensed it when she was pregnant with you. She never said anything, but I think she started figuring it out during all those months I spent taking care of her."_

"_And you two never talked about it?"_

_Duke shook his head. "Not directly, no."_

_Cady finishes her food and pushes the plate towards Duke. She decides to let the other questions she has go for now. There would be more time later._

_Sighing, she pulls her crutches to her and turns slightly on the bar stool._

"_Hey, I think I'm gonna head upstairs. Uncle Dwight left my luggage in my room."_

"_You think you need anything else?"_

_Cady considers this for a moment. "No, I think I'm okay for now."_

_But something else stops her. A thought. A memory._

_She draws a deep, slow breath before speaking up again._

"_Uncle Duke, I…" she swallows hesitantly. "I need to talk to you about something."_

_Duke senses her shift in tone, her hesitancy. "Sure. Is something wrong?"_

"_Do you remember that really bad fall I had when I was six years old? The one that gave me that concussion?"_

"_Yeah, I remember."_

"_When I was unconscious… or at least I think I was unconscious. I don't even know any more. But I just know I was… I was somewhere else. And I felt so light. I felt free. And that's… that's when I saw her."_

_Tears glisten along the rims of Cady's eyes and start to slowly descend down her cheeks._

"_I saw Mom."_

**To be continued… **

**Author's Note: **For the purposes of this story, I will NOT be including Jordan or Arla. I just can't fit either of them in my story with what I want to do, so just assume they're dead. Anyway, that's all for this chapter! Thank you ALL again SO much for reading! Feedback only motivates me to want to write more, so please review! I never know when my next update will be because it all depends on my schoolwork (which is ALL writing ironically), but I will try to update every few weeks if I can. I don't know all the twists and turns of this story yet myself, but I can promise you… It'll be an interesting ride! Stay tuned!


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